1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for expanding the width of a channel shaped member, such as a gutter, to permit insertion of an adjacent channel shaped member within the expanded member for connecting adjacent pairs of channel shaped members or gutters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the installation of gutters it is common practice to join sections of gutter together by overlapping adjacent end portions of the gutter sections to be connected. Conventionally the gutter sections are overlapped where the end portion of one gutter section extends a distance of approximately two inches into the end portion of an adjacent gutter section. The section which is received within the adjacent section is notched at the top front bead and rear hook edge of the gutter. The notched end portion of one gutter section is advanced into the adjacent gutter section until the end of the receiving gutter section abuts the ends of the notches of the adjacent gutter section. Once the adjacent gutter sections are lapped, they are riveted together along the front, bottom and back sides of the joint. The interior joint and rivet heads are preferably sealed with an adhesive-like material to prevent leakage at the joint.
Preliminary to lapping the gutter sections it is necessary to expand the one gutter section which receives the notched end of the other gutter section. The walls of the receiving gutter section must be spread apart to the extent that the spacing between the interior surfaces of the gutter walls is greater than the spacing between the exterior surfaces of the walls of the notched gutter section. The spacing must be sufficient to permit unobstructed extension of the notched gutter section the required distance into the expanded gutter section so that the end of the expanded section abuts the notches of the opposite gutter section. On the average the length of the extension of the notched gutter section into the expanded gutter section is two inches. Consequently, only a limited portion of the end of the receiving gutter section must be expanded.
It is known to expand the receiving end of a gutter by using conventional pliers and also hammering the walls apart. This practice does not permit controlled and uniform expansion the required length of the gutter section. Frequently, because of improper expansion, the notched section of gutter becomes jammed within the expanded gutter and cannot extend the proper length into the expanded gutter.
While numerous methods are known for expanding metal, none are readily adaptable to the expansion of gutter sections. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,003,687; 2,252,703 and 2,606,469 disclose devices for expanding metal to remove dents in the metal. Each of these devices utilizes a threaded screw to outwardly expand a pressure plate into compressive relation with the dented surface and conform the dented metal to its original configuration.
Screw actuated spreaders are also known as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 265,549; 1,675,238 and 2,159,975. These devices are particularly adaptable for expanding a piston wall which has collapsed outwardly from its original diameter. Rotation of a screw in a selected direction expands a spreader outwardly to obtain the desired outward expansion of the piston wall. The degree of the expansion of the piston wall is determined by the range of pivotal movement of links that connect the spreader to the screw.
In the swagging of pipes as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,034 it is known to connect concentric portions of pipe by pivotal movement of a link outwardly into compressive relation with the pipe sections upon rotation of an actuating screw. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,390,553 tapered pails are rotated by a shaft to draw an expander head downwardly to spread camming fingers outwardly against the walls of a workpiece. Devices for forcing under pressure a workpiece into conforming relation with the configuration of a support or die structure are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,670,555 and 2,401,834.
While it is known to bend, deform or spread a workpiece by a screw actuated, pivotally-mounted spreader there is no suggestion or disclosure in the prior art devices of uniformly spreading a gutter or any other like channel shaped member for connecting in lapping relation an adjacent gutter or channel-shaped member.
Therefore, there is a need for a hand-held device that efficiently expands to a controlled degree a gutter or channel-shaped member to be joined in lapping relation with an adjacent gutter or channel-shaped member.